Fire-escape



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. W. KEELER.

FIRE ESCAPE. N0. 386,204. Patented July 17, 1888.

Fig. 1.

wi/tnes'ses, Inventor, W WA, in A 1 (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2'.

G. W. KEELER.

FIRE ESCAPE. No. 386,204. Patented July 17, 1888.

wii'nes 8 es Inv anion grm/ I 72W ATENT FFICE.

GEORGE \V. KEELER, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.386,201, dated July 17, 1888.

Application liled April 10, i888. Serial No. 270,233. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. KEELER, of Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full and clear description.

This invention relates to that class of lire-escapes in which an endless rope, having one or more belts for suspending the persons, slides upon a friction-block.

The object of my invention is to provide a convenient fire-escape that is compactly arranged within an ornamental cabinet, which cabinet is secured to the wall in the upper chamber and being agreeable to the eye, and the moving parts of the fire-escape are simple and arranged within a paper wrapper to avoid any confusion or entanglement of the several parts, and a fire-escape that will safely rescue from a burning building any number of persons in quick succession.

The invention consists of the combination of of an ornamental cabinet having a door to open on the front automatically, and the movable parts of the fire-escape are arranged within, as follows: The endless rope is coiled and wrapped in a paper wrapper and made secure in the cabinet. The friction-block, with one of the belts, is placed by the coiled rope in the cabinet. The canvas bag is folded and rolled and wrapped with a paper wrapper-,and the whole apparatus is sealed within the cabinet. The endless rope is arranged with two belts in its circuit and at such distance apart as that when one belt is up at the friction-block the other belt is down on the ground. At the belt is provided a canvas pad, which pad is held around the ascending-rope by the person descending, thereby regulating the velocity of the descending person.

The fire-escape is provided with a canvas bag, to be used when children are to be descended by the escape. The bag can also be used in rescuing valuable effects.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fire-escape cabinet A when the escape 18 not in use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same with the door open, showing the arrangement ofthe lire-escape withinthe cabinet. Fig. 3 shows the fire-escape in position for use.

Fig. t shows two views of the friction-block C. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the canvas bag.

The cabinet A is firmly secured to the wall or window-frame, to which cabinet is secured l'rictionblock O by a short rope, B, over which friction-block passes an endless rope, D,which rope has in its circuit two belts, E, formed by a ring, F, and a snap-hook, G, which hooks into ring F. At ring F there is a pad, H, secured to the rope D, and having two free ends, I, adapted LO holdingaround the ascending rope by the person descending, and thereby regulating velocity of the descending person. The rope D passes over the friction-block G in the manner shown in Fig. 4. Said friction-block has at the lower end guide-tubes K, through which the up-anddown sections of rope D pass. The oblong block L is bolted to the band M by the bolts 0. A canvas bag is shown in Fig. 5, which bag has a loose hem, a, through which hem a rope, I), is passed, and adapted to act as a drawing-string, the ends forming a loop, which loop isprovided with asnap-hook,c. \Vhen small children are lowered by means of the bag, the rope b draws through the hem a, pressing the mouth of the bag around the body of the child and preventing it from falling out.

The door of the cabinet A is pressed open by the spring 6 when the spring-catch of the door is released at f.

The rope D is coiled and wrapped within a paper wrapper, h. The canvas bag shown'in Fig. 5 is folded and rolled to form a small package,and is wrapped within a paper wrapper, j. The back of wrapper h and j is secured within the cabinet A, and arranged as shown in Fig. 2, and adapted to holding the several parts of the fire-escape from becoming disarranged and entangled, and being easily released when required for use.

To operate the fire-escape, press the button and the door springs open; break the paper wrapper on the coil of rope and drop the coil out of the window; take the belt near the friction-block and place around the body under the arms, and snap-hook G snapped into ring F,and the descent is easily made by taking hold of pad H and pressing the free ends around the ascending rope D. hen the person has reached the ground, then the belt on the ascending rope will be at the window, ready for another person.

ICO

I am aware that various fire escapes have been invented. I therefore do not claim such an invention, broadly; but

What I do claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fire-escape, the combination, with the cabinet A, having a hinged door, of the parts of the fire-escape, the fixed partthereof being fixedly secured in said cabinet and the moving or running parts thereof being folded in an orderly manner and secured in paper wrappers within said cabinet, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the cabinet A, having a hinged door, and said door being opened by the spring e, of the movable parts of the fire-escape, arranged and secured with paper wrappers in said cabinet, the frictionblock 0, secured to the cabinet by the rope B, the endless rope D, one or more belts, E, ring F, and snap-hook G, and pad H, secured to the rope D and having two free ends, J, substantially in the manner and for the purpose shown and described.

3. The combination, in a fire-escape, with the cabinet A,having a hinged door,said door being opened by the spring 6, of the movable parts of the fire-escape contained, arranged, and secured in said'cabinet by paperwrappers, the friction-block O, secured to the cabinet by the rope B, the endless rope D, with one or more belts, E, with ring F and snaphook G, the pad H, secured to the rope D and having two free ends, J, friction-block O, having the band M secured to the oblong block L by the bolts 0, and having the guide-tubes K at the lower end, the canvas bag with loose GEO. W. KEELER.

Vitnesses:

CARROLL ROBBINS, R. H BRoWN. 

